Page 53 of Broken Vows

"Son of a bitch." The words slip out before I can stop them.

"What is it?" Maya pushes off the wall, sensing blood in the water.

I study the account numbers, cross-referencing them with family financial records. The signature authorizations make my chest tight with fury and something that might be grief.

"It's Marco." I set the phone down carefully, fighting the urge to put my fist through the window. "My fucking brother has been financing operations against us."

For years, I covered for him.

When he lost control, I cleaned it up. When he crossed the line, I pulled him back.

I thought I was protecting the family.

Turns out, I was handing him the matches.

The room goes deadly quiet. Tony's hand moves instinctively toward his weapon, though there's no immediate threat. Maya's eyes narrow with the focused intensity of a predator scenting prey.

"How long?" Tony asks.

"Six months. Maybe longer." I scroll through more documentation, each transfer another knife in my back. "Small amounts, regular payments. Smart enough to stay under the financial monitoring thresholds."

"Why?" Maya's question cuts to the heart of it.

Because Marco's always resented me. Because he thinks I've gone soft, that legitimate business makes us weak. Because he'd rather burn the family to ash than see me inherit what he considers his birthright.

"Because he's a fucking psychopath who thinks tradition matters more than survival."

I dial my father's private line, letting it ring once before hanging up. A coded signal—we need to meet, urgent, hostile environment assumed. His return call comes immediately.

"Vincent."

"We need to talk. Your office. One hour."

"Is it?—"

"It's Marco."

Silence stretches between us, heavy with the weight of family betrayal. When Antonio speaks again, his voice carries the coldness that made him feared across five boroughs.

"I'll be there."

I turn to Tony and Maya. "I want every piece of evidence compiled. Financial records, surveillance photos, communication intercepts. Everything."

I should check on Melinda.

But this comes first.

If I don’t put Marco down, no one’s safe—not even her.

"What about Marco?" Tony asks.

"I handle him personally."

17

Vincent

Russo Enterprises feels like a mausoleum after hours.